A New Procedure to Stop Back Pain

A minimally invasive technique using a new implant – X Stop – is helping relieve back pain and restore mobility of spinal stenosis sufferers throughout the Delaware Valley.

A condition that affects more than 400,000 in the United States, spinal stenosis is a narrowing of the spinal canal in the lower back. As we age, wear and tear from everyday activities can cause the spine to deteriorate. This narrowing can pinch and irritate the nerves that branch out from the spinal cord, resulting in back pain, leg pain, weakness, and a loss of balance.

Most patients with spinal stenosis do not require surgery. They often can be successfully treated using nonoperative methods, including physical therapy, anti-inflammatory medication, steroid injections or bracing. If these methods are not effective, X Stop may be a treatment option that your doctor offers.

Implanting the X Stop does NOT require removal of bone and tissue. The X Stop is a titanium device placed between the spinous processes – the bony projections at the back of the vertebrae – just underneath the skin.  The implant opens up the space in the spinal canal to take the pressure off the nerves.

Says Dr. D. Greg Anderson, spine surgeon with the Rothman Institute, “The X Stop is an excellent alternative for many patients. We are very pleased with the results we’ve seen, and in many cases patients can leave the same day they undergo surgery.”